Don't Take the Girl
by pepper0324
Summary: Just a short one-shot based on the country song. Super fluffy at times. Just Maggie and Tara throughout the years...


Hey! I wrote this in one day pretty much. Just a short one shot that came to mind when I was listening to music. Implied Tara g!p but doesn't really effect the story much. Based on the amazing country song called "Don't Take the Girl" by Tim McGraw. So hope you enjoy!

* * *

 ** _Tara's daddy was taking her fishin' when she was eight years old..._**

"Tara! Come on! Hurry up! We gotta hit the lake while the fishin's still good," David Chambler called up the stairs to his youngest daughter, a fishing pole in his hand.

"I'm almost ready, Dad!" Tara Chambler yelled back to her waiting father. The rambunctious eight-year-old searched through her messy room, looking for the fishing pole that her grandfather had given her last Christmas.

Tara was excited that she would be spending the whole day with her father. David had been working long hours at the auto shop that month, usually coming home after Tara had been put to bed. Her father had promised Tara a fun fishing trip before school started in a couple of weeks and the day was finally here.

She finally found her fishing pole in the closet, grabbing it and running down the stairs. Tara passed her thirteen-year-old sister, Lilly, who just rolled her eyes at her younger sister's excitement. Lilly personally thought fishing was the most boring thing ever, having gone on a few trips with David.

"Have fun out there!" Lilly waved goodbye as Tara ran out the front door.

"Bye, dork face! Love you!" Tara laughed, giving her sister an adorable goofy grin. Lilly just rolled her eyes again and continued up the stairs to her room.

Tara bounded onto the front porch, wearing a red plaid shirt that was too big for her. Covering her messed up hair was a blue baseball cap that had the logo of her Little League Baseball team. Her jeans had multiple grass strains from all the roughhousing she did with her friends. Little Tara Chambler was definitely a total tomboy and proud of it.

David had the truck door open, waiting for his kiddo to jump in like she usually did. Just then, father and daughter both spotted a little girl strolling through the front gate, a fishing pole in one hand and a small pink lure box in the other. The auto mechanic smiled when he realized that the little girl was Maggie Greene, Hershel Greene's seven-year-old daughter. Hershel was a good friend and the two families knew each other quite well since they were neighbors.

"My daddy said I can go fishin' with y'all if that's ok with you, Mr. Chambler. So can I go?" Maggie excitedly asked as Tara groaned in response. Little Maggie was wearing a summer dress that had little suns and flowers printed all over it and a yellow bow in her perfect hair.

"No! You can't go! You don't like gettin' all dirty and stuff like that," Tara answered, crossing her arms against her chest.

Tara had known Maggie practically her whole life since they had lived next to one another for years. The two got along well for the most part, they just had different interests. Tara was into sports, 4-wheelers, climbing trees and wrestling with her best friends, Glenn and Daryl. Maggie, on the other hand, was into horses and playing dolls with Rosita. Tara and Maggie had teased each other many times over the years, saying that the other had cooties.

"Please?" Maggie asked again as David just smiled at the two kids in front of them. He had a feeling that those two would be childhood sweethearts one day.

"We can't leave Maggie behind, kiddo, so she's gonna go fishin' with us," David announced as Maggie jumped up and down in excitement. She couldn't wait to catch a fish for the first time ever and make her daddy proud.

"What? No! Take Ricky Grimes, take Daryl Dixon, take my best friend, Glenn. Take anybody that you want as long as she don't go. Take any boy in the world but Daddy, please don't take the girl," Tara pouted as David just let out a little chuckle, kneeling down in front of her, giving her a serious look.

"Remember what our sayin' is? Don't leave a man behind? We ain't leavin' Maggie behind, Tara. Besides, you might like hanging out with her," David said in a gentle but serious tone that told Tara that there would be no more arguing on the issue.

"I don't even like her that much," Tara dejectedly walked to the truck, stopping in front of Maggie. "You're lucky I wanna be a Marine when I grow up like my daddy was and I live by our mottoes."

"You'd make a cute soldier," Maggie gushed as Tara blushed slightly before opening the truck door for her friend.

David just chuckled as he watched Tara help Maggie into the truck. He was glad that all the lessons he had been teaching Tara about chivalry seemed to be sticking with the eight-year-old.

"Tara, I know you don't want her to go but someday you'll change your mind," David climbed into the driver's seat, glancing at Tara through the rear view mirror. Maggie was sitting next to Tara, looking very excited about spending the whole day fishing.

"That'll never happen, Daddy," Tara pouted again which just made her father chuckle in response.

The trio made it out to the lake where Tara helped her father get the small boat onto the water. Tara and Maggie slipped on their life jackets as David guided the boat onto the middle of the lake where the fish were plentiful. He smiled when Tara showed Maggie how to tie a lure and taught her how to reel in a bite. The two kids talked about school starting soon and the cartoons they had watched that morning as David just sat back and grinned, watching the first signs of puppy love blossom.

"I'll catch a bigger fish than you," Maggie challenged as Tara scoffed at her.

"Yeah right! I'll catch the biggest fish ever!" Tara excitedly casted her line into the lake waters. She glanced over at Maggie, smiling at her for a few brief seconds.

They spent the next few hours catching fish and releasing them back into the warm water, much to Maggie's relief. About an hour before sunset, David announced to the two children that it was time to go back home and was met with groans of disapproval. As David hitched the boat onto the truck, Tara and Maggie stood by the shoreline, throwing rocks into the lake.

"I caught a bigger fish than you!" Maggie laughed as Tara just shrugged, trying to act like she didn't care.

"It's cuz I let you win," Tara grinned that adorable goofy grin as she threw a rock into the water, watching it skip a couple of times.

"No, you didn't!" Maggie gently gave Tara's arm a little smack as they both laughed.

"Totally did!" Tara reached down, touching the warm water and splashing Maggie with some of it. Maggie responded by splashing Tara as the two started to play a new game, trying to soak one another's clothes.

Tara laughed as she sprayed some more water on Maggie. She was totally unprepared when Maggie leaned over, placing a small kiss on her cheek. Tara started to blush, her hand touching where Maggie had kissed her.

"I like you, Tara," Maggie simply beamed as Tara seemed at a loss for words for once in her life. Tara wasn't exactly sure what had happened but she liked the feeling that had taken over her body. Maybe her Daddy had been right about everything after all.

Tara shyly leaned over, timidly placing a quick peck on Maggie's lips. "I like you too but don't tell anyone I said that cuz then the guys will hound me for days."

David watched from a distance, sad that his youngest was growing so fast but happy at the same time. He quickly wiped away a stray tear before he yelled for the kids to jump into the truck. "Alright, you two! Let's get going!"

"Come on!" Maggie grabbed Tara's hand and started to lead her back to the truck.

 _Maybe Maggie's not so bad after all_ , Tara thought happily as she helped Maggie into the vehicle, ready to spend the rest of the summer with the pretty girl seated next to her.

* * *

 _ **Same old Tara. Same sweet girl. Ten years down the road...**_

Tara Chambler and Maggie Greene both stepped out of the movie theater, holding hands as they strolled back to where Tara's classic Camaro was parked. The cool fall air swirled around the young couple as they glanced up at the night sky that was brightly lit with stars.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into watchin' that movie. I don't know what I liked better - the endless amounts of blood and guts or the naked girls who always seemed to be on screen," Maggie complained about the movie that they had just seen.

"I personally liked all the naked chicks," Tara joked as Maggie glared at her, pulling her jacket closer to her cold body.

"Do they look better than me?" Maggie asked as Tara leaned over, placing a kiss on her lips.

"Nope. You're the most beautiful girl in the world," Tara truthfully said as they walked down the deserted sidewalk.

Tara felt her protective side take over as she pulled Maggie close. She just had a feeling that something bad was going to happen, but she didn't want to alarm Maggie. Their town was relatively safe but crimes did happen and it was after midnight.

"I love you," Maggie said as she placed another sweet kiss on Tara's lips.

"I love you, too," Tara smiled, feeling so in love with Maggie. They were childhood sweethearts, experiencing so many firsts together and only with each other.

There was a heavy sadness in the air since Tara was going to be leaving for bootcamp in just a few days. She had signed up for the Marines not long after graduating high school, wanting to follow in her father's footsteps. Maggie was happy for Tara, but scared about their uncertain future since she would be attending college in North Carolina. They decided to make the most of the time they had left together, spending every second with one another.

Tara continued to hold Maggie close as they saw the Camaro parked in the distance. Suddenly, from the cover of darkness, out stepped a stranger with a gun in his hand, pointed towards Tara. The burly stranger grabbed Maggie and pulled her close to him, raising the gun to her head.

"Tara!" Maggie cried in alarm, suddenly taken away from Tara's protective hold.

Tara slowly raised her hands in the air, glaring at the stranger who held the love of her life in his rough grasp. She wanted to tackle him and beat the living hell out of him for threatening Maggie but she kept calm.

"If you do what I tell you," the stranger whispered, staring Tara down. "There won't be any harm."

"Take my money, take my wallet, take my credit cards," Tara offered as she reached into her back pocket pulling out her wallet and dropping it onto the sidewalk. She couldn't bear the scared look in Maggie's green eyes as tears ran down her beautiful face.

The stranger glanced at the wallet on the ground as his grasp on Maggie's waist tightened, his finger caressing the trigger of the gun. Tara could see that he was thinking about taking the possessions so she decided to sweeten the deal.

Tara pulled off the watch that she was wearing, pleading. "Look, here-here's the watch that my grandpa gave me. Here's the keys to my car. Dude, give it a whirl, just please don't take the girl."

"Which car is yours?" the stranger asked, intrigued as Tara threw the watch and keys onto the sidewalk.

"The red classic Camaro that's parked just a few feet away," Tara answered as the man glanced behind him for a split second.

Tara watched as Maggie started to struggle against the man, but his grip just got tighter. Tears were still running down her face as she silently pleaded with Tara to help her.

"Maggie...it's gonna be ok..." Tara whispered as the man grinned evilly.

"Alright, Romeo, here's what we're gonna do. Take the money out of the wallet, pick up the watch and car keys. You're gonna hand them to me...ya hear? Any funny business and I'll shoot your girl here. We clear?" the mugger ordered as Tara slowly grabbed the items in question, pulling the money out of the wallet.

The man observed Tara's movements carefully, making sure that she didn't do something stupid. Tara slowly walked forward, holding out the possessions that the mugger wanted. The stranger quickly grabbed the stolen items before roughly pushing Maggie into Tara's direction.

Maggie immediately gripped Tara's body tight, never wanting to let go, never wanting to leave the safely of her arms. She sobbed, her tears quickly soaking Tara's shirt, both their hearts pounding in fear. The stranger glanced at the teenage couple before running to the Camaro and jumping in. Tara watched as her precious sports car roared to life, pulling out of the parking lot and raced down the street.

"Shhhh...Maggie. It's okay, baby. I'm right here," Tara soothed as she held Maggie close, trying to comfort her.

Maggie glanced up at Tara, sadness in her eyes. "Your car..."

"Shhh...I don't care about the car or the money. All I care about is that you're okay and safe," Tara leaned forward, kissing Maggie's lips, tasting her tears.

Maggie's body trembled in the cold weather as she held Tara tighter. "Please...don't let me go..."

"I'm never letting you go," Tara whispered, lightly kissing Maggie's light brown hair. "I love you so much, Maggie."

"I love you too, Tara," Maggie pulled Tara in for a passionate kiss, both realizing what could have been lost that fateful night.

The young couple held each other close, never wanting to let go. They knew that the future was uncertain but they were both committed to one another and were determined to make their love story work, no matter the circumstances.

* * *

 _ **Same old Tara. Same sweet girl. Five years down the road...**_

Tara was sleeping soundly before she felt someone nudge her, trying to wake her up. She blinked away the sleep in her eyes as she glanced at the clock, groaning when it read three o'clock in the morning.

"Tara, wake up!" Maggie kept shaking her stubborn partner, trying to get her up.

"What, Maggie? It's not time for me to get up yet," Tara complained to her wife as she grabbed the pillow, covering up her face.

Tara and Maggie had been married for a couple of years and they were expecting twins any day now. Tara had gone on a couple of tours over in Afghanistan while Maggie attended college, working on her teaching degree. Now, the couple were stationed in Texas where Maggie found a job that she loved, teaching a class full of second graders. They were away from their family and friends in Georgia but they made the most of it, just glad to be together.

"Tara! It's time! I know it's time!" Maggie climbed out of the bed as fast as she could, anxious to finally meet their babies.

"Time? Time for what?" Tara asked, still in a sleep induced haze.

"The baby's almost here! The twins are on their way!" Maggie excitedly announced as Tara sat up straight in the bed, fully awake now.

"The babies are on their way!" Tara beamed as she quickly jumped out of bed, getting dressed and grabbing the hospital bag that Maggie had packed a couple of weeks ago.

"Are you ok? Are you in pain?" Tara asked Maggie, guiding her down the stairs as their dog, Harley, excitedly jumped and barked in the living room.

"I'm ok. Just some contractions that don't feel too great but they're bearable so far," Maggie thought it was cute that Tara was worrying so much over her.

During the whole pregnancy, Tara had been very attentive to Maggie, making sure that she got the rest that she needed and giving her massages that usually ended up leading to steamy sex. Tara didn't complain when Maggie woke her up in the middle of the night craving ice cream or chocolate. She set up the nursery to Maggie's liking, never complaining when her wife wanted to change colors or themes. Tara attended all the doctor appointments and read all the parenting books, looking forward to being the best parent that she could be.

Tara helped Maggie into their car, making sure that she was comfortable and buckled in. Then Tara drove to the hospital in record time, her nerves getting the best of her as she parked in the parking lot and helped Maggie into the building. She waited patiently as Maggie was admitted and taken to her own room.

The couple anxiously waited for Maggie to dilate which took a couple of hours. Finally, the time came as Maggie was prepped for labor and the doctor and team of nurses took their positions. Maggie held Tara's hand, her grip tight as painful contractions hit her weak body.

"Oh god! This hurts! I'm so gonna kill you for doin' this to me!" Maggie yelled at Tara who just chuckled nervously. Some of the nurses laughed at how nervous Tara was as Maggie's grip on her hand got tighter.

"Ow! Maggie, you're kinda hurtin' me!" Tara complained as Maggie glared at her which caused more laughter in the room.

Tara gulped. "I mean...break my hand if you must."

The mood in the room quickly changed when the doctor announced that Maggie would need an emergency C-section since the babies umbilical cords were becoming wrapped around their necks and a natural delivery was too risky. Tara was ushered out of the way as a team of nurses quickly prepped Maggie for the C-section, working against the clock.

Tara stood back, her heart pounding as she watched the surgery happen right in front of her. She clenched her fists as she tried to calm her raging emotions, praying that Maggie and the babies would be alright. Tara felt her breath stop as the doctors pulled out two healthy looking babies from Maggie's womb. An eternity seemed to pass until both babies started to cry, their healthy wail filling the room. Tara didn't realize that she had been crying until the tears ran down her cheeks.

Just as Tara was starting to calm down, ready to hold her twins, the machines hooked up to Maggie started to beep rapidly.

"BP's dropping!" One of the nurses shouted as they all surround Maggie who had passed out.

"She's losing too much blood!" another nurse shouted as Tara couldn't believe what was happening in front of her.

"Maggie! What's happening?! Maggie!" Tara shouted as she tried to force her way to her wife's side but was stopped by a resident.

"Get her outta here!" one of the doctors shouted as the young resident started to usher Tara out of the room and into the hallway.

"No! I'm not leaving! That's my wife on the table!" Tara yelled, more tears threatening to fall.

One of the doctors gave Tara a stern look, the heart monitor screaming in the background. "Your babies are fine but you'll have to leave cuz their momma's fadin' fast and the longer you're here, the more distractions you cause. So out!"

"Maggie..." Tara whispered as one of the residents ushered her out into the hallway, the door closing behind a young man as he rushed back into the room.

Tara couldn't control herself as she fell to her knees right in that hallway, tears streaming down her face as she really prayed for the first time in her life. "Take the very breath you gave me, take the heart from my chest. I'll gladly take her place if you'll let me. Make this my last request. Take me out of this world. God, please don't take the girl."

Tara waited for what seemed like forever in the hallway. People passing her by would glance at but continue on their way as Tara waited for news that could potentially break her. What would she do if something happened to Maggie? She couldn't raise two kids on her own. She just couldn't. Not on her own, she needed Maggie. Tara couldn't live without Maggie's love and compassion.

Finally, the door opened as the doctor stepped out. Tara quickly jumped to her feet, not quite able to read the look on his face.

"How's Maggie? Please tell me she's okay. Please.." Tara cried as the doctor sighed, placing his hand on Tara's shoulder, trying to steady her.

"Maggie's fine now. It was a hit and a miss there for a few minutes but we were able to stop the blood loss and get her stable. She's fine now," the doctor didn't expect the huge bear hug from Tara as she nearly picked him up off the floor.

"Thank god..." Tara whispered as she finally breathed a sigh of relief, wiping her tears away.

"So momma and babies are just fine. We're cleaning her room right now but you can sit with her. Maggie will be out of it for the next couple of hours. Where's the rest of the family?" the doctor asked, noticing that Tara was still alone.

"They're comin' in from Georgia and won't be here for a few more hours," Tara answered as the doctor nodded in understanding. The army of nurses exited the room as Tara quietly made her way in. She rushed to Maggie's side, tenderly placing a small kiss on her lips.

Tara glanced at the two babies who were each in their own little bassinet, sleeping soundly. She carefully picked up one of the newborns, holding her close to her body.

"Hey, baby. You and your momma really gave me a huge scare today. Don't do that anymore, alright? I'm too young for a heart attack," Tara chuckled as she quietly rocked the baby. After holding the baby for a few minutes, Tara placed her back in the bassinet before picking up the other twin, rocking her gently. Before Tara knew it, she had fallen asleep, baby nestled safely in her arms.

A couple of hours later, Tara heard a sweet voice calling her name. "Tara? Tara? You awake now?"

Tara opened her tired eyes as Maggie came into view. She was laying on the hospital bed, their other baby nestled securely in her arms. She watched as Maggie tenderly placed a kiss on the newborn's soft hair.

"So this one here is Izzy and the one you're holding is Taren cuz she's slightly bigger than her sister but I have a feeling that she'll take after you in every way," Maggie said as Tara just stared at her like she was an angel.

Suddenly, Tara couldn't hold back the tears as she started to cry, sobbing as she thought about how she almost lost Maggie. The reality was hitting her right in the face and she couldn't handle it. Maggie knew what had happened during the labor. Tara had been asleep when Maggie had come out of her slumber and a nurse quietly explained how they had almost lost her.

"Oh baby..." Maggie whispered as she gestured for Tara to cuddle with her.

Tara carefully climbed into the bed with Taren nestled in her arms, needing to be close to Maggie after the trying night. She just needed a physical reminder that Maggie and their babies were alright, that their family had survived this. Maggie cuddled up to Tara as best as she could since she was still in a lot of pain from the surgery.

"We're gonna be okay baby. We're all gonna be okay," Maggie soothed as Tara continued to let the tears fall, almost afraid that this was a dream and that Maggie had indeed been taken away from her.

"I love you, Maggie. Don't ever leave me..." Tara whispered as the tears finally stopped. She glanced down at the baby in her arms, never imagining that she would fall so in love with someone she just met. Tara knew that she would do anything to protect Maggie and their family.

"I love you, too, Tara and I'm not goin' anywhere. You're stuck with me," Maggie smiled, leaning up to give Tara a sweet kiss on the lips.

The young couple cuddled with one another, thoughts of their future together running through their minds. Tara soon realized that Maggie had fallen asleep against her, the newborn still held securely in her arms. Tara couldn't think of anywhere else she'd rather be than right there in that hospital bed with Maggie and their babies.

"I'm never letting go...never," Tara promised her growing family before she rested her head against the pillow, smiling when one of the babies made a small noise. She couldn't wait to be the best parent ever to the two bundles of joy in her life, dreaming about her family's bright future.

* * *

Ok! That was fluff beyond fluff! But I'm glad I got it out of my system so I can work on my current projects. Hope you enjoyed the fluff! :) ohhh...I'm not a doctor so I just kinda winged that part.


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